williams



No. 607,826. Patented July 26, I898. F. BURGER & H. H. WILLIAMS.

CIGAR MOISTENERAND PRESSURE DEVICE.

(Applieation filed Aug. 10, 1897.)

(No Model.)

NITED FRANZ BURGER AND HENRY M. \VILLIAMS, OF FORT \VAYNE, INDIANA SAID BURGER ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO SAID WILLIAMS.

CIGAR-MOISTENER AND PRESSURE DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 607,826, dated July 26, 1898.

Application filed August 10, 1897. Serial No. 647,720- (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, FRANZ BURGER and HENRY M. ILLIAMS, citizens of the United States, residing at Fort Wayne, Allen county, State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cigar-Moisten- 'ers and Pressure Devices, of which the foltransported from one place to another or.

otherwise handled, thereby preventing injury to the same; and to these ends our invention consists in the various features of construction and arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafter more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cigar-box with the front and top removed, showing the application of our invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the moistening device, and Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the same.

While'our invention is adapted more particularly for moistening cigars and holding them in place, it is evident that it may be applied for other purposes and in other connections, and while we describe its application to cigars our invention is not limited thereto.

It is well known that in order to keep cigars, especially thefiner qualities, in good condition they should be kept fresh or moist, and numerous devices have been suggested for this purpose, and it'is one of the objects of our present invention to furnish a cheap, simple, and effective apparatus whereby this may be accomplished without the necessity of providing special cases or expensive boxes therefor. Ourinvention is adapted to fit an ordinary cigar-box and can be used over and over again in connection with different boxes. It can be used with full boxes by having the boxes made a little deeper than ordinarily, so as to permit the moistening device being placed above the top layer of cigars in the box, or it can be used when a portion of the cigars have been rem0vedas, for instance, when one layer of cigars is removed and it is desired to keep the remainder fresh.

Referring to the drawings, A represents a cigar-box of any suitable size, shape, or material, and B represents the cigars in the box, they being shown as arranged in two layers. Arranged above the cigars is a moistener O, which is preferably made of dimensions to substantially fit the contour of the box, and consists, practically, of a perforated corrugated plate or sheet 0, shown in the present instance as having longitudinal corrugations and with the perforations 0 corresponding to the upper portions of the corrugations c. The sides and one end of this perforated corrugated plate are bent up and slightly over the top to form a receptacle for the moistureabsorbing material D and also preferably have a thin metallic slide which is arranged above the moisture-absorbing material and in close contact therewith to retain the material in contact with the perforated bottom.

The moisture-absorbin g material may be of various substancessuch as felt, wool, or some material which is capable of absorbing and retaining a considerable portion of moisture, allowing it to slowly evaporate'-and this is placed immediately over the corrugated portions of the plate 0, and mounted above this is a thin metallic plate E, which slides in the bent-up portions of the corrugated plate, so that the three parts are retained in close proximity and can be readily handled as one piece, and can therefore be easily removed or replaced within the box.

It is desirable that the cigars should be kept in their proper relations to each other, so that they will not be broken or injured, especially when traveling or handling the box, and so that they maybe uniformly-fresh, and while the moistener itself acts as a follower and rests normally upon the cigars, if the box is not full it is liable to be misplaced and allow the cigars to be disarranged, and in order to provide for retaining the moistener in its proper position under all conditions we make use of a pneumatic bag, preferably of some elastic material, as rubber, which can be placed upon the follower and between that and the box-cover. This pneumatic bag F can be inflated more or less, according to the amount of cigars contained in the box, and it is provided, preferably, with a self-closing valve fat its mouth, preferably at one end, and by means of which the bag can be inflated by blowing air into it or can be deflated by operating the valve, as with the finger, the stem of the valve preferably projecting out through the mouth. With this pneumatic bag it will be seen that when it is placed upon the moistening device or plate and inflated to the proper degree and the cover of the box is closed it will be flattened out and produce an even pressure on the cigars and retain them in their proper relations, and if more or less of the cigars are used it can be inflated or deflated to the proper degree to secure the desired pressure on the parts. In this way it will be seen that not only are the cigars or other materials in the box kept fresh, but they are maintained in their proper relations, so that they are not liable to injury, and this is especially useful when the cigars are being transported or handled in packages less than a full box.

\Vhat we claim is 1. A moistening-follower for cigars, comprising a lon gitudinally-corru gated plate, the corrugations being perforated on their upper portions, the plate having sides and one end turned up, a metal sheet held in position by the turned-up sides and end, and a sheet of moistening material interposed between the metal sheet and the corrugated plate and being in contact with the perforated corrugations, substantially as described.

2. A combined cigar moistener and holder, consisting of a follower provided with means forretainingmoisture,and an inflatable pneumatic bag resting upon the follower, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANZ BURGER. HENRY M. VILLIAMS.

WVitnesses:

GEO. D. CRANE, F. L. FREEMAN. 

